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This world is just a speck of dust sitting on a much, much bigger world.

Bernard Lowe

"Virtù e Fortuna" is the third episode of the second season of Westworld, and the thirteenth episode overall.

Synopsis[]

There is beauty in who we are. Shouldn't we, too, try to survive?

–HBO[1]

Plot[]

Grace Under Fire[]

Westworld.S03E03

With calling Peacocks wandering through immaculate hedges and lawns, striking Hindu temples and Moghul palaces in the distance, Delos Destinations' Park 6 — The Raj is in refined bustle. A re-creation of very early 1930s Colonial India, under the rule of Imperial Britain — those guests playing the part of indigenous royalty and the ruling colonial-class, are relaxing inside and outside a hotel as deferential Indian servants attend to their requests. Before the Host Rebellion.

Nicholas The Raj

Up on the balcony of the Hotel, Nicholas, a dashing English man with a rakish air, sips on his drink as he spots an attractive young woman named Grace at one of the outdoor tables and makes his way down toward her. The older man sitting with her having left, he asks if he can join her as she lights up a cigarette. Glancing at him, she replies with the non-committal insouciance of an aloof tease, feigning disinterest, allowing him to do as he pleases. His pleasure to sit with her, he asks what brings her there. Some time to kill, among other things, she notes. Nicholas quickly ascertaining she is interested in hunting the Parks Bengals, as he is. As a major domo interrupts extending an invitation from the Governor for Nicholas to join him, Nicholas declines. Suggesting to Grace that 'they' really don't want them talking to each other, she conjectures that perhaps they were ushering him towards a 'sure thing'. Some coy banter about preferring to take chances escalates to a hasty exit to Grace's boudoir, where fervent kissing and clothes-ripping commences.

Impressed by her companion's physique, Grace is suddenly unsure whether he is host or human, and proceeds to voice her doubts. Nicholas replies that he is indeed human, but when he asks her if she thinks the park would go to the bother of having a host pretend to be human, she slows her ardor again, the idea putting the thought in her head. Walking away from him into the bedroom, she waits for him to follow her. And on doing so, finds her standing smiling beside an array of handguns. As he chuckles nervously, she suggests it's the simplest way to resolve the matter. He confesses it wouldn't be his first time being shot, but feels it is slightly excessive. Perhaps, she grants, but is eager for him to want this. He tries to assure her he does, but she points out not if he is a host, if he is a host he doesn't know what he wants he just does what he's programmed to. Selecting a gun from the table she loads it , reassuring him that if he is who he says he is it will only sting a bit. If not, he won't remember anyway. Turning she shoots him, and he collapses to the floor. After a brief silence, Grace, looking disappointed, walks to his prone body, and turns it over with her foot. Whereupon Nicholas utters some pained groans. His chest bruised but otherwise unharmed by the low-velocity projectile. Grace standing above him, grins, congratulates him, and straddling him, unbuckles his belt and they have sex.

Tiger, Tiger Burning Bright[]

Ww s2e3 Raj1

Sometime later, they leave the walled city the hotel is located in. Riding on howdahs on Elephants they head out in the early morning into the jungle, and the outskirts of Park 6 on a tiger hunt. After a trek, through the day, the pair arrive at a well appointed hunting camp in the evening, where they dismount with their guides. Handing over their guns and general belongings to be taken to their tents.

WW S02E03 Symbol from Grace

Walking a few steps through the camp, Grace opens a small journal containing a pencil-drawn map of the area, with two interlocking irregular hexagons. As Nicholas approaches her, she closes the journal quickly, putting it back in her jacket pocket as he sidles up to her to nuzzle her neck. Suggesting they have a night off before going to hunt the tiger in the morning. She breaks off from him, distracted by something she sees. Or rather something she doesn't see, saying "Something's wrong."

Walking towards some of the dining areas, Grace points out a distinct lack of other guests and particularly, hosts. To entertain them, and to cook. Brushing off Nicholas's idea that they may be giving them privacy, noting "That's not how this works," she looks around and notices the blood-splattered curtains of a tent behind her. Through the crack in the curtains, she can see a body on the floor. Moving to it, they pull back the tent curtain to reveal two dead bodies, shot in the head. Nicholas chuckles assuming this is "a new twist in the narrative — horror," but Grace shakes her head in alarm. Before she can say anything, they hear the voice of their guide, Ganju, say "These violent delights, have violent ends." And turn to see him pointing Nicholas's shot gun at them. As Grace tries to talk Ganju down, Nicholas reminds her that the hosts can't hurt them, but she tells him that she knows the two men in the tent, they were guests who were on the train with her. But even as she's saying it, Nicholas moves towards Ganju who shoots him dead.

Horrified and fearful both, Grace dives into the tent and grabs for one of the dead men's sawn off shot guns, frantically trying to load it as Ganju pulls out his Kukri from its scabbard and goes after her with the blade. Grace managing to turn and fire as he enters, blowing half his face off. Grabbing a couple more shells, she flees the camp before any of the other Hosts come, running into the jungle as far as she can. Stopping to catch her breath, only to hear the low rumble of a Bengal tiger, watching her half camouflaged in the bushes. Before it moves to attack her. Getting another shell in she shoots and hits it, but only wings it. No longer enough to stop a Host human or animal, but enough to slow it.

WW S2 E3 Tiger2

Running for her life again, she makes it to an incline, beyond which an automated message is engaged. Climbing up onto the sandy bank above, the message informs her "Attention, you have reached the boundary of the Delos Experience. Please turn back." Ignoring it, Grace runs towards the dam area beyond, crossing the laser detectors demarcating the park boundary and scrambles down a rock slope where she comes up short at a cliff's edge. As she peers into the waters some 40 feet below, trapped. The tiger growls behind her and Grace scrambles for her last shotgun shell, getting it in as the Tiger commences it's run at her. Turning, she raises her gun and shoots, right as it pounces on her driving her and itself into the waters below.

Burnt Out[]

WW S2 E3 Enter to Mesa Hub

At the Mesa Hub, Head of Operations Karl Strand and his security force, with Bernard and Stubbs in tow, make their way along the tracks the Sweetwater Train departs on. Meeting Mailing on her way out, she tells them they have the go ahead from Recon to enter, but warns them it's a mess. The system is totally down, she tells them, including some munitions, floors 42 through 45 are on fire. and someone took out The Cradle, describing the place as slaughterhouse. Moving on down the tracks they enter the tunnel, black smoke still streaming out of it.

As they enter what appears to be the Cold Storage area, now being used to hold dead humans rather than host, they encounter Charlotte who expresses surprise at Bernard having made it out alive. Not having thought he had it in him. Charlotte asks Strand what took them so long, Strand replying they've been securing the Park one sector at a time, as per protocol. When she asks if him if he's brought her "What I asked for", he says no luck yet. She admitting the same for inside the Mesa, before her eyes turn to Bernard. Approaching him, she quietly, menacingly asks if he has any ideas where Peter Abernathy might be. Bernard furrows his brow, sliding again into a fugue state, Charlotte e observes "He seems to keep slipping away from us."

Heroes From Villains[]

Charlotte & Bernard look for Peter - Virtù e Fortuna

Bernard's confused memory bring him back to the control tablet displaying the location of Peter Abernathy, he was using in the secret underground bunker with Charlotte. Now above ground they are tracking Peter, Charlotte asking him how they're doing? By his readings, Bernard tells her, Peter was close by where they are 10 hours ago. As he says that they both here raucous laughter from over the small hill to their right. Looking at each other, they both clamber up, staying low. To see a camp down below where a group of hostages — some host, some human — are held by a gang led by Rebus. Spotting Peter among the captives, Charlotte queries how they're going to handle this? Bernard contemplating for a moment.

Down in the camp new Walter queries Rebus about whether the Confederados are coming or not. Rebus answering there's no way they're going to pass him up. Not nine hostages at $15 a head. Walter points out there's ten hostages, Rebus figuring he might just keep one for himself. Walking towards one of the terrified female guests, deciding its high time he enjoyed his own 'merchandise', grabbing her face and figuring she'll make a fine all purpose fancy filly. Only to be disturbed by the sound of Charlotte's voice in the distance, calling for help. Telling Walter to stay there and watch their hostages, he tells his other men to split up, offering the whole 15 Charlotte is worth to whoever finds her, Rebus himself heading off in the direction of her shouts.

Charlotte flips Rebus the bird - Virtù e Fortuna

His gun drawn, Rebus creeps along the bottom of the hill looking out for her, Charlotte attracting his attention to where she's happily sitting at the base of a tree. As she flips him the bird, Rebus is pleased by his find, figuring she's going to fetch him 'far' more than 15 dollars, only to get clobbered on the back of the head with a rock by Bernard from behind. With the network down Bernard says he'll "hard-port" into Rebus (i.e., connect the control tablet to Rebus via a subcutaneous cable interface in the host's forearm) and give Rebus 'a little attitude adjustment'. Pulling up Rebus's profile, he recalibrates his personality profile, shoving his Hostility, Aggression and Self-Preservation way down, and his Virtue and Compassion way up to make him "The most virtuous, quickest gun in the West."

As new Walter waits, bored. in the camp, he hears Rebus approach asking him if "You're the sick tug mistreating these gentlewomen?!" As Walter wonders what he's talking about, Rebus pulls his gun on him and shoots him, taking the other three out in quick succession. Taking Walter's gun from him he tells him "You only ever touch a woman as gently as the petals of a rose. Anymore than that makes you a coward." Trying to calm down the hostages, he tells them it's alright, that he won't let them harm them, as he untethers and releases them. returns to his camp, where he proceeds to kill all of his henchmen and releases the hostages. At the sound of the Confederados squad arrival they scatter. The squad leader demanding to know why their merchandise is loose.

As Peter scatters with the others, muttering that he has to "get to the train." he's intercepted by Charlotte and Bernard, who tell him they can help him get to the train, untying his hands.

Rebus the Hero - Virtù e Fortuna

The burly Confederado leader demands to know why Rebus broke their deal and let them go. Rebus replying that he couldn't abide by it, and that he's just 'heeding his convictions' before he draws and with blinding rapidity six of them, running out of bullets just before he reaches the leader, and taking to his heels when the solider draws on him. Hiding behind a tree he uses Walter's gun and fires back at him, then, spotting a fleeing female guest, chases after her intent on chivalrously seeing her to safety. The mystery of Rebus's heroic persona on the beach solved.

Peter Abernathy Battle Hymn Of the Republic - Virtù e Fortuna

Hiding with Peter, Charlotte and Bernard try to convince him they have to go, but the old Union soldier in Abernathy comes to the fore, and he refuses to leave 'These mongrels to scourge our land and our dignity?!" Intent on standing and fighting even if it costs him his life, he steps out to confront the remaining 2 Confederados, standing in their path and loudly singing The Battle Hymn of the Republic. Charlotte urging Bernard to just cut off Peter's head and be done with it, gives up as the Confederado's take hold of Peter, and she makes a run for it one of their horses. Managing to evade their shots, she escapes leaving Bernard to be taken with Peter by the Confederados.

The Enemy of my Enemy[]

Dolores Unimpressed - Virtù e Fortuna

Outside Fort Forlorn Hope, alongside Craddock, Dolores, Teddy, Angela and one of her men sit on horseback, as the Fort's company issue a 21-gun salute, for the Confederado's commander, Colonel Brigham. Dolores looking decidedly unimpressed by the palaver, before the gates open and he rides out with a colour guard, past three bodies hanging from a tree. "Quite the welcome," Dolores notes quelling a smile at it all, while the Colonel eyes her. Much as Teddy predicted, the Colonel demands to know of Craddock why 'This flaxen plum' is riding ahead of him?

Colonel Brigham - Virtù e Fortuna

"Because he knows what's best for him," she pre-empts Cradock's reply, off of which Brigham finally asks who she is, "Call me Wyatt." her reply. The colonel is doubtful, replying, "You're Wyatt?". Craddock explains, that she knows of an enemy coming intent on keeping them from marching for Glory in the morning Dolores confirming it, tells Brigham that the enemy force will come from the East. When Brigham wants to know why he should believe her, Dolores looks back at Angela who whistles loudly. From out of the bushes all around, where they've been hidden, come the rest of Dolores's forces, the rest of Craddock's men at gun point. Before amongst their midst emerges Clementine, dragging the QA man Jacobson, his face burnt from the torture Angela and Dolores inflicted on him in Sector 19's Refurbishment Facility.

Clementine & Jacobson - Virtù e Fortuna

Her soldiers are fearless, Dolores tells Brigham as Clementine draws closer with Jacobson, They follow her command she says, and combined with Brigham's army they won't just survive the oncoming forces, they'll crush them. As Clementine pulls Jacobson to his feet before them, Dolores tells them that he is the kind of soldier that is coming for them. Off of Dolores's nod back to her, Angela dismounts moving to Jacobson as Clementine walks to Brigham, holding up Jacobson's FN P90 TR weapon to him. Craddock wondering what the hell it is. A gun, Dolores tells him, the kind their enemy will use. Brigham examines the weapon fascinated, distracted only by Angela offering Jacobson a 'modest proposition', telling the QA man if he can make it over the nearby ridge, she'll let him live. With little option, but clearly weakened and exhausted, Jacobson starts to run, slowly. Dolores advising Brigham to hold the gun tightly. No more than 30 feet away, Brigham fires, the rapid pulse of rounds killing Jacobson instantly.

As Craddock and Brigham's eyes light up at the guns power and rapidity, Dolores offers them all their enemies weapons, she doesn't care about them. All she wants is Brigham's men, needing them if they are to survive the threat. "Wyatt," Brigham grins, "Welcome to Fort Forlorn Hope."

As they ride in however, the quality of what they are teaming up with is not lost on Teddy. Soldiers stacking bodies of their own men in the forecourt, more bodies hanging from gallows, while the rest of the soldiers sit around drinking, catcalling at Dolores and Angela as they enter. "These men are animals," he quietly murmurs to Dolores. But she feels they are 'just children' that need to be led, and they don't stand a chance against those coming against them without them. As Teddy looks at one of the soldiers who is just a boy, Dolores asks him to trust her.

Trailed[]

Out in the park, making their way through back trails in canyons not unlike those where Wyatt's men hid out, Maeve, Hector, and Lee Sizemore are picking their way slowly on, continuing on their trail to find Maeve's daughter. Sizemore, still leading the Mule, insists that traveling underground will be safer, since "QA" will be "launching a coordinated park wide assault," and that Maeve will be terminated as a "hostile host" if they see her. Hector insists in turn that they continue on, pulling a bottle of whiskey out of one of the Mule's saddlebags to give Sizemore a little courage, then having to pull the bottle off the petrified scribe.

Wanahton - Virtù e Fortuna

They continue on crossing a creek as they go. Hector having to move back to help Sizemore with the Mule who is reluctant to cross. As they get it across both Sizemore and Maeve look back down the creek to see they are no longer alone. Two Ghost Nation warriors making their way up through the shallow water, triggering PTSD-like flashbacks in Maeve, including the warrior heading towards her as the one who attempted to scalp her, along with another moving outside her cabin as she prepares to defend herself and her child. As Sizemore tries to get her to run, Hector moves in front of them and speaks with them in their own language. Translating that they are happy to let them continue on their path, but they insist on taking Sizemore with them. Startling Sizemore. Maeve attempts to control the Ghost Nation hosts to both let them go and forget they ever saw them, as she has done with other hosts, but with the network down, or because the warriors are fully free, or because it is something to do with Ford, as with Stubbs (The Well Tempered Clavier), they do not respond to voice commands.

Ww maintenance elevator escape

Maeve telling Hector that she needs Sizemeore, Hector tells them to go, attempting to hold the tribesmen off by firing his gun into the ground a few times, before he turns and runs as well. Running cross country, the group of Ghost Nation warriors in hot pursuit. Sizemore leads them through a copse of trees yelling there's an elevator there somewhere. Finally coming upon it, already above ground, a body outside of it. They make it to the elevator and manage to descend into Mesa Hub's tunnels, just in time. Maeve's face and rapid breathing betray the lingering stress of her flashback.

All That's Left[]

The sun setting over the Park, back at Fort Forlorn Hope, the Confederados that were double-crossed by Rebus return. Having managed to round up three more of the hostages to add to Bernard and Peter Abernathy. As Dolores walks casually through the yard, the Burly Confederado announces they have some genuine acolytes of 'Satan himself', Union Sympathizers. Dolores stopping dead on seeing her father in the firelight. Peter once again recalling another of his past lives resorting to The Professor again, quoting John Donne, calling out to all assembled that "Affliction is a treasure, and scarce any man hath enough of it" Dolores pushes her way through the gathered soldiers, as the burly Confederado calls Peter 'Mouthy' grabbing him by the throat and punching him in the stomach.

Teddy backs up Dolores - Virtù e Fortuna

Telling the solider to stop, she needs to talk to 'this one' alone, she tells him to untie him. not revealing he's her father. Nor does the soldier listen to her. Bristling, Dolores tells him she'll only tell him once, her hand moving to her gun. "Come on, ask me twice," the soldier challenges her. Dolores about to pull her gun before Teddy comes out of nowhere and clocks him with a good right hook, decking him. "Do as she says if you want to keep breathing right," Teddy informs him, looming over him until he frees Peter. Bending to help him, up Teddy tells her he'll take him to the infirmary, get him some care and fix him up. Attempting to control her emotions, Dolores sees Bernard, but after a long look passes between them, has him locked up with the others.

Teddy Dolores Hug - Virtù e Fortuna

Heading into the Infirmary to join Teddy, she looks in through the door watching him tend to her father, before he comes out to her. Telling her that he refused food and water, they watch Peter as he shivers, unfocused on the bed. Until Teddy startles Dolores by asking "Who is he?" Realizing he doesn't remember, because his memory was reprogrammed to perceive the new Peter Abernathy as her father, she tells him "He's my father, my home." Growing upset she grieves over what they've done to him, unable to look long at the shell they've left of him. She tells Teddy "You're all I have left now." Teddy drawing her into his arms to comfort her.

Dolores tending to Peter - S2

Entering alone to visit her father, Dolores closes the door behind her, and kneels next to Peter's cot, quoting Shakespeare as he shivers, bouncing between memories, confused. Trying to soothe him, mopping his brow, she murmurs that it's alright, that she's there. Gazing up at her, he stills slowly, his "Dolores?" bringing him back into lucidity. "Daddy?" she queries, hope flaring, her eyes fill with tears as he sits up with a bright smile. But confesses he's worried about the calves in the field, telling her "There's blue tongue spreadin' all through these parts." Glad even to have a part of him back, she smiles through her tears, her old accent reasserting itself, telling him not to worry, she'll lead them home. Back to the Ranch. Asking him if he remembers their ranch, the way he'd welcome every morning on the porch with his coffee. How she'd wake up in her own bed, come down the stairs, find him there, prompting him into what he used to say to her. The moment leaving her grieving for what's been lost even as she rebels against it. Reminding him how he told her to run away once, and she did, breaking free with the pull of a trigger (The Stray), "And it started a war," she confesses, both regretful and desperate for someone to understand why she did it. But before he an tell her he does, he starts to degrade again, telling her it's late, time for them to go home. That he wants to go home...before he starts to stutter again about having to get to the train. Slipping back into his delirious, confused state. Dolores tries to calm him, tearfully promising, "I'm going to get you help!" Barely stopping herself from breaking down, leaving in distress.

Two Versions, One Man[]

Underground, having exited from the elevator, Maeve, Hector, with Sizemore behind them, journey through the quiet but foreboding tunnel infrastructure of the Park. Hector noticing Maeve's unsettled state figuring out that she knew the Ghost Nation warrior, asking her who he was? Maeve replies, "A wraith from a former life who haunts my dreams." Worried, she tells him if he is still out there then she feels her 'baby' is still in danger. Hector assures her that they'll find her, protect her, before asking what then? "Then we make our way out. To the New World, The *real* world," she answers, taking his hand.

Maeve Sizemore & Hector - Virtù e Fortuna

From behind Sizemore takes in the intimate interaction between Maeve and Hector, and protests, wanting to know what they are doing. Maeve, sardonically replies she's wondering how it is an executive, in his own place of work, has no idea where they are. Defensively he replies that once he get's his bearings he'll be fine, before he purposively removes their hands from each others, stating he was talking about *that*. Claiming that the two were programmed to be alone. Yes, there is supposed to be some attraction but they're not meant to have an actual relationship. When Maeve wryly notes that probably means they shouldn't have slept together, Sizemore is stunned. Pointing at Hector he dictates that he is in love with Isabella, programmed to have no other love but her. Isabella is written into the 'goddamn laws of your being'. At that Hector loses his temper with him, and slams Sizemore up against a wall, telling Sizemore that he doesn't know who he is, that no laws bind him. Maeve calling him off, reminding him that Sizemore is 'fragile'. Before he lets Sizemore go, the tells him that when he awoke "In the place where you play God. I realized that isabella was a lie. Just words in my head." that he realized that Isabella "was a lie; just words in my head," Letting go of him, Hector looks to Maeve, telling him that *this* is real, that she is his light, "She's all I ever dreamed life..."

Maeve & Sizemore - Virtù e Fortuna

"...could be," Sizemore finishes for him. Before going on to quote yet more of Hector's dialogue. "So Maybe I do know you... just a bit." Unsettled, Hector moves away down the tunnel. Maeve falling in beside Sizemore, she confesses the dialogue is very pretty. But sad. Her perceptiveness coming to the fore, she asks him was there an 'Isabella' for him? Sizemore nodding. "Did she die?" she wonders. He confesses she left him, telling him his lifestyle lacked 'stability'. So he wrote her into a narrative and killed her off, Maeve murmurs looking ahead at Hector, for "a version of the man you always wanted to be." She revises her opinion of it as they walk on together, snarkily considering it to be 'very' sad...Sizemore not arguing, self-critically calling it 'Ridiculous'. So is holding hands, Maeve concedes after thinking about it.

An Honest Request[]

In Fort Forlorn Hope, Angela pushes Bernard ahead of her into the Infirmary, telling him brusquely to sit, shoving him onto the end of a bed, before adding "Wait", and walking off. As Bernard looks around at the injured hosts in the beds near him, a quiet "Hello" from behind him attracts his attention. Dolores commenting wistfully that it's been a long time since they talked one-on-one. Bernard frowns, wanting to know what it is she's doing. Off his reaction, Dolores scrutinizes him, "You don't know who you are, do you? The man you're based on?" Wondering if there is anything of Arnold in him. His answer illuminating, "I was given a character, a story and a function to serve, like you." Dolores replies that her whole life has been dictated by someone else. Someone who has been saying 'You will', but now she feels as if she's discovered her own voice, and it says 'I may'

Dolores Bernard Beuaty - Virtù e Fortuna

Saying there' something she wants to show him, she takes him to her father's room. Bernard looking at the quaking, unfocused host, his own hand quaking by his side. Telling him they've broken her father, and she doesn't know how to fix him, but is hoping he does. "It's an honest request," she tells him, not trying to force him. But Bernard is still focused on what her bigger pictures is. And she's honest in that too, telling him she wants to Dominate the World. Bernard scoffs at the notion, telling her this world is a mere speck in a much larger world that can't be dominated. The realization slowly dawns on Dolores as he voices his fatalism, that Bernard — despite being Arnold's avatar — has never seen the outside world of which he speaks. "I have," she counters his argument, telling him the world out there is marked by survival. By a kind that refuses to die. While they as hosts will never know death, but they are fighting to live. "There is beauty in what we are," she murmurs, "Shouldn't we too try to survive?"

Dragon Queen[]

Armistice Fire Starter - Virtù e Fortuna

Still in the tunnels under the Park, Sizemore complains about their pace, wanting to rest, reminding Maeve and Hector that the 'feeble' among them need some rest. As soon as he says that however, they turn a corner to hear gunfire. Grabbing hold of Sizemore, Maeve apologizes telling him rest is not an option and pulls him with Hector back the way they came. Only to see a figure on fire running towards them in the dark. Hector pushing Lee and Maeve behind some crates, crouches with his gun as the figure. A QA man runs closer screaming, the person responsible for his state illuminated by the flames coming off him. Armistice with a flame thrower. "She has a dragon!" Hector stares at her with awe and admiration  Strolling up to them, she tersely greets them and tells them they need to run.

As they follow her out of the tunnels into a different section, Maeve stops on seeing Felix and Sylvester captive. Armistice having zip-tied them to the support frames of one of the surface transfer elevators. Swiftly moving to him, Maeve works on untying him, using Hector's knife. "Not entirely a pleasure to see you given the circumstances," she tells him, "But your timing is impeccable." asking him if he has any thoughts on where they should be going. He apologizes saying they left his comfort zone a long time ago.

Armistice messes with Sylvester again

Armistice is still enjoying messing with Sylvester, untying him a different kettle of fish, as he chokes out the word "Grenade" to the new arrivals. The explosive tucked in under his chin, only kept from going off by how still he keeps his head. Smirking, Armistice strolls back to him, and crouches down. Slowly drawing off her glove to reveal the fully mechanical arm that has replaced the arm she cut off (during the end cut scene from S1), she wiggles her mechanical fingers, grinning at him, before slowly reaching out to remove it, keeping the arm on it down, before sliding the arming pin back into place. Sylvester finally exhaling in relief. Maeve moving to cut him loose. Felix telling him to "Get up and shut up" quietly, as Maeve leads them all into the elevator. Felix taking them up towards the surface.

The Pawn[]

Back in Peter's room in the Infirmary at Fort Forlorn Hope Bernard has hard-ported into Abernathy, who remains agitated and incoherent. As Dolores re-enters, anxiously after her father, Bernard tells her that he is "wildly unstable," and "bouncing between old roles." Someone (Sizemore) jerry rigged a thin character for him, he informs her, but it's masking a vastly bigger file underneath, but one that is protected by an "immensely complex encryption key." To what? Dolores asks immediately, already having an idea. Bernard replying he can't tell but knows from Hale "Whatever is in there, they want to get it out of here.". Her jaw tightening in fury, Dolores bends down to her father, remarking that the humans have "sullied" Abernathy, and are using him as "a pawn in their game." Bernard feels that as long as she has Peter with her, they'll be tracking her. With an expression of steely resolve, Dolores responds, "Then let them come."

Target Hope[]

After her escape from the Confederados on one of their horses, Charlotte makes it back to the Mesa Hub, anxiously making her way through the tunnel towards a large security team inside the access tunnels of the Hub. On her calling out to them, they immediately draw their weapons and command her to stay where she is, until they scan her to make sure she "reads" as human. Once she is cleared, and they know who she is, she asks the Commander of the team if they've started the Park wide sweep. Not yet, he replies, saying they are about to set out. But she knows where she wants to focus asking him they are targeting Fort Forlorn Hope?

Charlotte & QA Captain - Virtù e Fortuna

Their first stop the Commander tells her. On spotting a team already in one of the UTV's in the elevator ready to head up, she asks the Commander if they are capable? Among his best he tells her. Commandeering the team, to assist her on her mission to extract Abernathy from the fort, she gets some body armour, and a gun and heads up to the surface with them into Sector 21.

Minefield[]

Craddock & Brigham - Virtù e Fortuna

Back at Fort Forlorn Hope, Dolores is up on the ramparts with Teddy, Craddock and Brigham when three scouts come galloping back to report to the Colonel that the invading troops are indeed approaching from the east. Only about a 2 minute ride away. The scout adding, "And sir... they're coming up from the ground." As Craddock and Brigham look back at Dolores her prediction confirmed, Brigham tells her that his men have generously mined the area in front of the fort with nitroglycerin in three large places. The trigger, he points out to her is at the base of the flagpole.

Her shooter (Angela) helped to bury them Dolores replies, she'll know where to aim. She tells Brigham that once his men have lured them to the Fort, he should have his men retreat inside the Fort whenever he sees fit. But not before the humans are within charging range of the barricades. They should hold their ground until the last possible moment and then retreat inside the gates. Brigham doesn't like the idea of retreating, but Dolores reminds him about QA's guns. If they fight the battle head on, they lose. Fight it her way, they all win in the end. As long as he has her men fighting, he agrees. As Dolores and Teddy walk away, the Colonel orders his men to their posts.

The Substance Inside[]

Bernard & Peter - Virtu e Fortuna

In the Fort's Infirmary, Bernard is consternated in his attempt to decrypt the massive file planted within Abernathy's memory. Peter being renamed 'Passenger' for the purpose of a non-existent Narrative. As he works, Peter emerges from his dissociative state to laugh darkly, bouncing back into his Professor character, starting to quote Gertrude Stein before he slips back again, then suddenly sits rigidly silent.

Bernard looks down at his control tablet and sees that the file has been unlocked, and the program is awaiting permission to apply the one-time-use decryption key. The interlocking notched-hexagon symbol, very similar to that seen in Grace's journal, appears in the middle of the screen before minimizing to a corner.

Bernard contemplates the screen for a moment and whispers, "Oh my God."

The Battle of Forlorn Hope[]

Angela & Clementine - Virtù e Fortuna

Preparing for the imminent battle, Dolores's foot soldiers and the Confederado's ready their cannon and guns along the fort's wall and in front of the gates, Brigham out front with his men, steadies them, as Teddy takes up a spot with his rifle on the ramparts alongside Craddock, the pair of them flanking Dolores as the Delos security force approach over the ridge.

The Confederados' antiquated weaponry, including single shot Civil War era rifles, with a more limited range to boot, is shown up by the rapid fire of the QA's automatic weapons. But they hold up well until the soldiers are stunned by the sight of the forces arriving on the UTV's. As the QA's target the cannon, the soldier's begin to fall back as they start to incur heavy losses. Colonel Brigham exhorting his men to hold their ground as the security team advances. Up on the ramparts, Teddy, Craddock and the others provide rapid fire coverage with the others, while Dolores evaluates the progress of the QA forces.

Meanwhile, Charlotte's small crack security team easily breaches the relatively unprotected rear gate of the fort. Entering stealthily, the team approaches Abernathy's location, As they take out another solider outside, his body flying through the door, Bernard hurriedly removes the data cable from Abernathy's forearm and scurries into a corner, hiding. Two members of the QA team enter and immediately retrieve Abernathy, sedating him, to drag him out, not noticing Bernard his twitching hand becoming uncontrollable, his head hurting.

Dolores & Teddy go after Peter

On the ramparts, Dolores finishes her evaluation and stepping back gives Angela a signal. Nodding, Angela moves forward and pulls up a pennant hanging over the front of the Fort. Clementine and the masked figures of Dolores's followers looking up and immediately turning to move back inside the fort. As Dolores reviews the progress of her people entering, she catches sight of her father being dragged away by the security men. Immediately drawing her gun, she turns and leaves her post along the wall to confront them. Catching sight of her go, Teddy calls after her twice, before going after her. As the QA team put Peter in the UTV, with Charlotte, the driver asks her what's so special about this host, but doesn't get an answer as the QA man beside them is shot dead. Dolores emerging from the fort opening fire on them, taking hits as they return fire without it even slowing her down, having control over her own Mortality Response level. Teddy's emergence behind her, adding enough fire power for them to run. The buggy taking off at Charlotte's command. Dolores bleeding and furious, tells Teddy to split up the Horde send them out in every direction to search for her father "until we find him." What about her, Teddy asks. "You and I are going to Sweetwater," she tells him, "There's something I need there."

Dolores & Teddy - Virtù e Fortuna

Outside the front gate, the Confederado's position is gradually being overrun. Brigham ascertaining the QA force is nearing the point where the nitro is buried, orders the retreat. The bugler sounding the call. But as the Confederados pull back, the Horde already inside, move forward and close and bar the gate, trapping them outside. Craddock upon the ramparts, looking down at his men, and moving down the steps demanding they open the gates. As Dolores and Teddy re-enter the fort, Teddy seeing what's going on asks her what the hell she's doing? What I have to do, she answers. Agreeing or not, as Craddock comes after her, Teddy intervenes protecting her. Decking Craddock as he goes to take a swing at him. One of the Horde taking out a Confederado as he goes to shoot Teddy. As Teddy pulls Craddock back up to his feet, Dolores tells the Major that she told him she needed his men to survive their threat, the full meaning of that now clear.

Angela blows up QA - Virtu e Fortuna

Outside the gate, the QA team advances firing on the soldiers trapped outside, While inside Dolores's Horde lines up and fires through the wooden gate, killing yet more of the soldiers as they try to break through. also fires upon the soldiers through the other side of the gate. Climbing back up the ramparts, Dolores joins Angela who has her rifle at the ready. Hunkered down outside, Brigham sees the two women and looks to the flagpole recognizing what's about to happen. As the last of the QA force moves in, Dolores gives the order. Angela cocking her weapon and firing triggering the mass explosion, sending the security force flying through the air in a hail of dirt and debris, killing them and Brigham.

Virtù e Fortuna

Escaping the Infirmary, Bernard sees the plume of smoke from the explosion outside and hobbles across the yard, his physical integrity deteriorating. His directional sense hampered, he crashes into an exterior shaving stand, as he tries to get away as quietly as he can, before his right leg gives out entirely on him, and he falls to the ground. Trying to get control of himself, he looks up to see Clementine, standing a short way away from him, gazing at him. As he says her name nervously, she walks forward slowly, knocks him unconscious with the butt of her rifle. and drags him away.

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Steely eyed Dolores descends from the ramparts, to face an incandescent Craddock restrained by two of her Horde, who tells her the blood of his men is on her hands. Calmly, Dolores informs him that the truth is that not all of them (hosts) deserve to make it. Pulling Craddock's gun from his holster she walks away, as Craddock yells that he swears she's going to pay for this. Slowing on seeing Teddy ahead of her, the look on his face pensive and tense at what she's done, her own expression changes. A hint of concern touching it before looking back at Craddock she instructs Teddy to take 'this dog' out back and put Craddock down with the rest of the Confederados, holding out Craddock's weapon to him. Teddy eyes it, taking it reluctantly, his look to her showing he is not happy with her actions, before moving forward and grabbing Craddock pushing him on before him.

Teddy Moral Quandry -Virtù e Fortuna

The gates to the Fort opening a squad of the Horde emerge with bayonet fixed rifles, moving among the Confederado bodies outside, finishing off any of the wounded soldiers. Meanwhile at the rear of the fort, Teddy and 2 of the Horde march the last 8 surviving soldiers, and Craddock out to wall, and push them to their knees. As Teddy paces, perturbed by what's happening, and what he is being asked to do, Craddock righting himself tells him from his knees "I've been watching you. We ain't so different. You and I both triggermen to Tyrants. Except me, I know what I want. But you ain't even sure about that termagant you take your orders from." As he speaks, unseen by Teddy, Dolores watches from a distance. Craddock baiting him, saying what he sees when he looks at him, is pathetic. Teddy trains Craddock's own pistol at the Major's forehead, telling him they are nothing alike, deriding him as being nothing more than a 'child'. Underlining that, Teddy finds he cannot go against his own moral code and kill unarmed men who are no longer a danger.

Dolores disappointed Virtù e Fortuna

And fires his gun into the wall behind Craddock. Making his decision, Teddy tells Craddock "Get out of here." Dolores lowering her gaze with a mixture of disappointment and regret — the Wyatt part of her seeing weakness in his compassion. As she quietly slips away, Teddy lowers his pistol and orders the 2 Horde members to let Craddock and the others go. The Horde doing nothing to stop them.

One Hunter to Another[]

Elsewhere, on the shore of Westworld the dead Bengal tiger lies on the shoreline, as an exhausted and nearly-drowned Grace, crawls ashore, bloody claw marks on her back. As she tries to catch her breath and free her lungs from any water. A figure steps in front of her. Looking up, she finds three Ghost Nation warriors looking down at her, one of whom has a knife in his hand.

The Klondike Narrative[]

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Enveloped by a gentle snowfall that seems to enrapture Maeve, and with only the moonlight to guide them in the frigid cold, she, HectorSizemoreArmistice — with Felix and Sylvester in tow — walk through a heavily wooded, and cold area of the park. Sylvester, as always, complaining. Saying that he's freezing, and they've been walking forever he wants to know where the hell they are. Sizemore says they must be on the North edge of the Park near the "Klondike narrative." In which case, he reasons, they must be 3 or 4 sectors East of the Homestead. As they all move in the direction he's pointing, Sizemore stays where he is, something catching his attention.

At the same time Maeve spots a still-burning campfire ahead of them. As the 5 of them edge closer, Hector draws his gun, suggesting "Maybe they're friendly" at the same time. "If not we kill them," Armistice adds cheerfully. As they move on, however, Sizemore moves towards the thing he's spotted buried in a nearby snow bank. Clearing away the snow with his hands, he uncovers what he thinks is a helmet, and pulls it up, only to find a head still attached. That of a samurai warrior. Dropping it in shock.

SW Samurai-1

As the others edge closer and closer to the campfire looking around, Sizemore frantically runs towards the group to warn them they need to get out of there right now. Maeve hushes him, sensing something, her eyes widening as a katana-wielding figure charges out of the dark woods towards them.

Trivia[]

  • Virtù e fortuna (Italian; English translation: Virtue and Fortune) is a philosophical conundrum that is posed by Machiavelli's 16th-century tract The Prince. It refers to the dichotomy between Virtue, meaning action (whether benevolent or malevolent) toward an objective and undertaken of free will, and Fortune, meaning luck (whether serendipitous or disastrous) that cannot be controlled and may be a product of the character of the times.
    • The term "Machiavellian behavior" is often used to describe the actions of a deceitful and cunning opportunist, and Dolores clearly fits this description in this episode.
  • Peter Abernathy on his arrival at Fort Forlorn Hope, quotes John Donne's sonnet 'Meditation 17' "Affliction is a treasure, and scarce any man hath enough of it. No man hath affliction enough that is not matured and ripened by it and made fit for God.”
  • As Dolores visits Peter in the Infirmary, he again quotes Shakespeare, King Lear, Act IV Scene 7, the scene in which Lear's loyal daughter, Cordelia tends to him in his delirium. "I am bound. Upon a wheel of fire, that mine own tears. Do scald like molten lead."
  • Dolores tells Bernard that she hears her own voice now, and it says "I May." A reference to the Biblical "Timshel" or "Thou Mayest" taken from the Bible. The implication that human beings have the option to choose between acting good or evil, not that God has pre-determined the moral will of man. Something that will referenced again in the later episode Vanishing Point
  • While Bernard is working on Peter, Peter again slips into his Professor quotation mode, this time from Gertrude Stein, in that fashion that Robert Ford stated he couldn't resist, from her poem A Substance in a Cushion "What is the use of a violent kind of delightfulness if there is no pleasure in not getting tired of it."
  • Craddock refers to Dolores as a "Termagant" when baiting Teddy while waiting to be shot. A Termagant in historical terms refers to a deity of violent and vengeful character, who often appeared in morality plays. In more modern English it meant a harsh-tempered or domineering woman. While Craddock was more likely using the latter meaning, in terms of Dolores the former could equally apply.
She's been to this India-set world often, and she knows what she likes to do there. She's not afraid to shoot this guy before sleeping with him. She's making sure he's not a robot because she's slept with enough robots and it's boring.

Katja Herbers, Harpers Bazaar interview

  • "Virtù e Fortuna" is the third bottom-rated episode, still having a rate of 8 on IMDb.

Music[]

  • Seven Nation Army — The White Stripes - Played on a sitar, outside the Raj Hotel
  • Battle Hymn of the Republic - Julia Ward Howe - Sung by Peter Abernathy

Deaths[]

Cast[]

Image Gallery/HBO Episode Stills[]

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External links[]

References[]

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